Tim - you've got too much time on your hands - I must tell your daughter she's not causing you enough worry - an unexpected grand child should help.
Thanks for your investigation - perhaps you're right - Perhaps Mr.Scally might be given the Chancellor's job and wave his magic wand at all this austerity we've been experiencing.
Unfortunately not enough time - and don't start giving her ideas!
However this morning I have had some time on a website my colleague advised me of yesterday.
As advised above the majority shareholding of GFC (89.09%) is held by a company caller Quilter Nominees Ltd. which appears to be a non-trading company with a few investments, although GFC is not listed among them. However Quilter Nominees is a subsidiary of Quilter Cheviot Ltd., which is, let's just say, substantial. Its business description is "Investment management services to private clients, charities, companies and institutions in the UK", and its turnover is recorded as Fee and Commission income. Reported turnover in the year to 31/12/13 was £106,831 million - that's £106,831 million received in fees and commission. So you can imagine the value of the business that they're negotiating.
Whether this is of any relevence is not really for me to comment on any further as the lines of speculation open up like the Nile Delta, and it would only be speculation, but I hope some of you have fun talking about it in the pub.
What I do find strange is that although the site I've used (which I'm satisfied is reliable) shows 89.09% of GFC owned by Quilter Nominees, the accounts of GFC Holdings state that 75% of GFC is owned by GFC Holdings. Now, those accounts were as at 31st May 2013, and it may be that changes have occurred since, and I haven't got access to historic information on shareholdings, but the restructuring was done in the year ended 31st May 2013. We'll see what is said in 2014 accounts, which I would expect to see in February, although very possibly before, and then we'll open up this can of worms again.